Should U.S. Be Backing Down from Methadone Addiction Treatment

There are a variety of different methods that have been employed over the years for the treatment of addiction. And while some of these have proven to be quite useful, others have shown to be less than ideal. There are also treatments that have shown some degree of success but have a multitude of negatives that go along with them. These issues seem to be the case with a type of treatment that is quite prominent for handling opioid abuse, that being that of methadone addiction treatment.

Even though methadone has several adverse effects, some disregard these for the sake of the fact that methadone addiction treatment can provide some level of success. But it appears that methadone does not have much support from the populace. According to a survey from YouGov and Huffington Post of 1,000 people, the small amount of only 19% thought that individuals struggling with heroin should be on a medically monitored methadone or synthetic opiate program.

Further Results of the Study of Methadone Addiction Treatment

There was also other interesting information that was displayed in this study as well. For instance, half of the participants thought a natural detox and regular Narcotics Anonymous meetings would be better than methadone addiction treatment. And the remaining 31% of the other half of the participants said that they were unsure of the best method. Then, there was also the fact that over half of those polled had stated that they would feel uneasy with a methadone clinic in their neighborhood.

The Side Effects of Taking Methadone

There can be quite a few side effects of taking methadone, including:

Anxiety

Drowsiness

Nausea

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Impotence

Loss of Appetite

And much more

There are several alternatives one could use to be able to avoid the problems with methadone addiction treatment. An individual could do a detox and a full addiction treatment program, which allows the physiological side to be addressed, as well as the mental and emotional factors that can underlie an addiction. While methadone alone can help a person to curb the immediate cravings for their opiate of choice, it does not address anything but the physiological side of the addiction. It is important to handle both sides of it, as without doing so, a person could easily end up relapsing when they are taken off of methadone.

With the various adverse effects of methadone, it is a wonder as to why it continues to be a prominent form of treatment. Being that it only addresses the physiological aspect, it does nothing to definitively handle addiction, unless combined with some other kind of therapy. One of the largest problems with methadone and other maintenance programs for that matter is the fact that it is often just a crutch. And there are even those who end up essentially “trading” their addiction by becoming addicted to methadone.

How Best Drug Rehabilitation Can Help

Whether methadone, heroin, cocaine, or some other type of substance, addiction can be a complicated condition to overcome. It can often take comprehensive addiction treatment for a person to be able to break free of it. Here at Best Drug Rehabilitation, we look for a custom treatment program for every individual. Customized programs ensure that all sides of their addiction will be addressed. There is much more to addiction than only what is seen on the surface, such as the underlying mental and emotional factors of it, and these need to be addressed as well. Addiction is unique to each person, and some difficulties and issues are particular to them, which is why it must be treated in an individualized way. Call Best Drug Rehabilitation today, and we can answer any questions that you may have regarding our services.